


Tales of the Dawning Sun

by roxasfanfics



Series: Oneshot Collections [8]
Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Oneshot collection, Romance, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2019-11-28 06:16:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18204629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxasfanfics/pseuds/roxasfanfics
Summary: A collection of oneshots from the fandom of Yona of the Dawn.DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters presented in these stories, aside from my OCs. Those rights belong exclusively to Mizuho Kusanagi.





	1. Foreword

Hello everyone! Welcome to my oneshot collection for Yona of the Dawn, _Tales of the Dawning Sun!_ It includes a variety of stories, from passionate romances to tales of friendship, and I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. If you have migrated here from  _Cuddle Corner,_ thank you for sticking with me; if you are new, welcome and enjoy what I have here! In either case, happy reading!

I do take prompts/pairing and story requests (in fact, I love them, so please feel free to request!). However, there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

  * If a prompt is submitted, I do not guarantee that I will agree to write it. If I feel uncomfortable at the prompt or otherwise feel like I do not possess enough information to adequately complete the prompt, it is my right to politely refuse to take the prompt. If the prompt is from a series that I have not read/seen, it is likely that I will place the prompt on hold until I have done so. If the prompt is from an anime filler arc, I may refuse or require a short explanation of the filler arc to provide me with enough detail to complete the prompt. Please respect my choice as an author to refuse prompts. 
  * Most of the stories I write are male/female, mostly because this is what I am comfortable writing. However, if you wish to suggest a female/female or male/male prompt, please feel free to do so. I don't discriminate against such pairings and will most likely write them if requested, it is just unlikely that I will do so spontaneously. Again, please respect my decision as the author to refuse to write a pairing if I cannot draw appropriate inspiration.
  * Finally, this is  _not_ a place for smut. I respect people who read and/or write it, but I am not one of those people, so please do not request anything that is NSFW.



Below is also a list of my other oneshot collections. Please do stop by if any of them pique your interest! Is there a fandom you love not represented? Please recommend it to me! I love new things to read. 

  * The Bonds that We Hold Dear (Naruto)
  * Tales of Connected Souls (Bleach)
  * Tales from the Four Tribes (Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra)
  * Equivalent Exchange: My Life for Yours (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  * Love Burning Bright (Blue Exorcist)
  * Love on the High Seas (One Piece)
  * Love on a Fairy's Wing (Fairy Tail)
  * Tales of Resonating Souls (Soul Eater)
  * Tales from Ouran High (Ouran High School Host Club)




	2. Index

**Chapter 1:** Dawn and Dusk _(Yona/Soo-Won/Lily)_

 **Chapter 2:** Little Talks _(Yona/Lily)_

 **Chapter 3:** How It Always Will Be _(Yona/Hak/Soo-Won)_

 **Chapter 4:** Dawn and Dusk Part II _(Yona/Soo-Won)_


	3. Dawn and Dusk

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff, Friendship Fluff

Characters: Yona, Lily, Soo-Won

Requested By: YonaWon (Ao3)

Lily awoke with a frightened start as the shriek of a snapping twig pierced the forest air, her heart pounding frantically in her chest; fear was all she knew these days, since she and Yona had been captured and imprisoned in Sei, and since she had escaped with the red-haired princess into the wilderness. Her sea-blue eyes frantically searched the dank forest for the source of the disturbance as she huddled further amongst the sturdy roots of the tree she had been resting against, meagerly hoping it would swallow her up and hide her from what were likely prison guards coming to retrieve her renegade self. Yona was nowhere to be seen, either; where was her friend? Had she already been taken, leaving Lily defenseless. She tried to control her shallow, rapid breathing as she trembled against the forest floor, a rabbit caught in a hunter’s trap.

“Lily, relax; it’s just me.” At the sound of Yona’s tired whisper, Lily instantly melted into a puddle of relief against the tree. The princess emerged from the greenery with a mildly serious expression, scurrying quickly over to her to kneel beside her. She must have run off to retrieve water while Lily slipped into unconsciousness. The thought made her eyes water, and she dropped her gaze to the loamy earth; Yona was so strong and capable, while she was just dead weight. It was frustrating. “Lily, we have to go. There are Sei soldiers nearby. They may already know we’re here,” Yona told her and grabbed her by the wrist, already pulling her to her feet. Lily gasped, probably much too loudly, as she was pulled up and dragged further into the forest by the rushed princess. In some fragile, cowardly part of her, Lily wanted to just collapse right there and have Yone run off by herself; though she had been asleep for at least an hour, her feet and calves were already screaming in protest each time they slapped against the cold, thick layer of forest debris, and the numerous cuts across her legs and arms stung horribly as the air whipped over them. Her mouth and throat burned like fire as she breathed, parched from thirst, and within minutes that burning flame spread to her lungs which were begging for relief. As much as she wanted to give up though, she didn’t; she couldn’t, not with Yona there.

 _I have to be strong like Yona. I can’t be dead weight!_ She told herself as she squeezed her eyes shut, pouring all of her strength into continuing the feverish pace. It wasn’t to be, though; the Sei soldiers were indeed aware of their presence. Lily looked over her shoulder with a fearful gasp as the forest behind them exploded with energy; the birds were startled from their nests, calling out to the night in warning as the bushes violently shook as the armored soldiers tromped and hacked through them. Their angry shouts echoed behind the two girls, and Lily could see the flash of their blades in the moonlight. The _thwang!_ of bowstrings soon joined them, and Lily shrieked in alarm as an arrowhead nicked the soft flesh of her ear and embedded itself into the thick bark of a tree as she dashed past. Yona tried to throw them off, weaving through the trees as the arrows whistled by around them. To Lily’s amazement and relief, however, the sounds were rapidly retreating as the comparably lighter and smaller girls placed increasing distance between them. A strange euphoria, probably from the mixture of terror and adrenaline, filled Lily’s blood as she considered that they might actually escape.

Then Yona screamed in agony as blood exploded from the back of her heel, and her hand was ripped from Lily’s as she lost her footing and landed roughly on the ground. Lily’s feet slipped in the loose dead leaves as she scrambled to a halt and scrambled back to Yona, who was whining loudly and tenderly holding her foot, which had an arrow sticking out of the back of it, the arrowhead piercing deep into her flesh. Lily fell on her hands and knees beside her injured friend, looking wildly into the dark woods. She could not hear their shouts anymore, or maybe they weren’t shouting at all; like beasts, they were surrounding and enclosing their prey. The air all around Lily and Yona echoed with trembling leaves and resounding footsteps; in her panic, she wasn’t even sure where they were coming from. It was like they were everywhere. Gulping, Lily looked back to Yona and grabbed her by the arm to drag her across ground into a bushy thicket. The girl did not protest even as the pokey branches pricked her skin. The thicket was not as sure a shield as Lily would like; Yona’s bright red hair stuck out brightly against the muted smudges of brown and green, and a trail of equally red blood glowed ethereally in the patches of moonlight, leading right to their location. “Lily,” Yona groaned and looked up at her with eyes scrunched up in pain. “Go on without me. You can still get away.”

“No! I won’t leave you!” she insisted hotly before looking down at the arrow, her eyebrows knit as she struggled with what to do. It was bleeding profusely, puddling around Yona’s foot, and there was no way she would able to walk with such an injury, let alone run. Lily’s hands fluttered about the shaft of the arrow, but never gripped it because she was afraid of hurting the already distraught girl.

“Lily-“

“No!” she snapped again and glared down at Yona. “I won’t leave you, Yona. Either way, we are going together!” Really, there was no “either”; their outcome was certain. Lily’s breath hitched in her throat as the air rang with snapping twigs again, frighteningly close. Speaking would certainly alert the enemy to their location, so neither of them said anymore; desperate to protect the girl who had done so much to protect her, Lily did her best to cover Yona’s body with her own, hoping her own dark hair and clothes wound blend in better with the earthy tones of the forest thicket. Below her, she could feel Yona shuddering in pain, and so she tried not to place too much weight on her to avoid causing her more discomfort. Lily’s eyes were trained on the thin spaces between the interwoven branches of the thicket, and for a while all she could see was the moonlight splashing across empty ground though the forest air was now alive with the sound of leaves and twigs crunching underfoot. Then, to her acute alarm, a pair of dark boots appeared in her line of sight. Lily held her breath, but her heart did not obey despite how much she willed it to; it pounded thunderously against her ribcage and she thought for certain that the perpetrator could hear its constant drumming. Lily watched with eyes as wide as saucers as the boots milled about only a few feet away, sliding in the leaves as their owner searched for signs of the girls. Lily prayed with everything she had that they would escape unnoticed, but they seemed unfounded. It took everything within her not to jump violently when the stranger knelt down, and she watched as his hands ruffled through the strewn leaves, picking one up. Lily saw with dismay Yona’s blood glittering on its dull surface. A second passed as the man no doubt traced the path of the blood droplets with his eyes, and a sickening feeling grew in her stomach as he stood up and came marching up to the thicket. Trembling, Lily threw herself over Yona, thinking that maybe she would just be killed on sight and her body left there and Yona could go unnoticed hidden beneath her, as large hands ripped apart the branches of the thicket and allowed the harsh light of the moon to spill over her.

“Finally, I found you. Are you hurt, Miss Lily?” Lily’s eyes snapped open in shock at the voice who greeted her, and her head whipped upwards.

“General Geun-tae?” Her voice was like a parrot’s squawk, high-pitched and squeaky with the sheer amount of disbelief in it. The long-haired man smirked down at her before standing up straight and cupping a hand to his mouth to shout into the dark of the forest.

“Hey! I found her!”

Lily exhaled deeply, momentarily relieved, but then just as quickly a fresh wave of horror crashed over her. If the general was here, then surely King Soo-Won was with him, and Lily absolutely could not allow Yona to be discovered, because that was just as much of a death sentence as being caught by the Sei soldiers. Resolutely, Lily remained hunkered down over the princess and warily looked up at the general. “What’s the ma- wait, who are you hiding?” he accused, and though Lily tried her best to resist, his brute strength was too much for her; with frustrating ease, he grabbed her by the shoulder and firmly but delicately straightened her up into a sitting position, and Yona came into plain view. To the princess’ credit, though her face was smudged with dirt and her hair tangled with leaves and her skin shining with a thin sheen of sweat, her expression was as fiery as her hair as she glared up at the startled general. “What-? But you’re-“

“Good job, General. We should get Miss Lily out of here as soon as possible.” The dreadful pit that had formed in Lily’s stomach grew three times bigger as Soo-Won’s voice came fluttering into the clearing, and she peered nervously around Geun-Tae as he came casually strolling onto the scene with General Joo-Doh walking stiffly behind him. Geun-Tae whipped around with a complicated expression, his eyes flicking from the injured Yona to the king and back. Soo-Won’s face morphed from a small smile to a bewildered one. “What is it?”

“Er-“ Before the general could explain, Soo-Won came walking over to the destroyed thicket to investigate himself. As he did so, Yona was just dragging herself into a sitting position, one slim hand curled around her still-bleeding ankle, and as she tossed her sunset hair to glance blankly up at him the king’s eyes grew incredibly wide. A tense moment of silence passed, and before any of the men could decide to put Yona to an untimely end, Lily threw herself between them, throwing out her arms on either side as if it would make herself a wider shield.

“Don’t hurt Yona! She helped me escape from the Sei prison, and is my friend. If you do anything to her, I won’t forgive you!” She tried to pour malice and intensity into her voice like Yona would, but to her irritation her throat would not obey; her voice cracked and trembled, her arms matching the tremor, and her glare was as unsteady as the branches trembling in the wind above. Despite that, her voice seemed to rouse something inside of Soo-Won, and he nodded before looking at Geun-Tae.

“General, look after Miss Lily here. Yona is hurt and needs medical attention,” he ordered. Lily could not read the expression on his face, and that frightened her.

“No! I’m staying with Yona!” she snapped hotly as the general shrugged and promptly leaned down to very rudely grab Lily by the waist and haul her out of the thicket to throw her over his shoulder like a mere sack of potatoes. “Hey! Do you hear me? Unhand me, now! This is no way to treat a lady!” she screeched in anger as she beat on his broad back to no effect. As the general whirled around to begin walking towards his horse, giving Lily a clear view of Soo-Won kneeling in the remains of the thicket behind the bedraggled, regal exile princess, Lily’s heart jumped in her throat as she began more panicked for her friend’s welfare than irritated at her own treatment. “Let me go! I’m not going anywhere without Yona! Yona! _Yoooooonaaaaaaa!_ ” she wailed as she continuously struggled in the general’s grip with frightened tears streaming down her cheeks, washing the dirt away with them before falling into the air, glittering like diamonds in the streaming moonlight.

~~~~~~~~~~

Yona kept her expression as rigid as stone as the man who killed her father knelt in the crumpled branches and crushed leaves to bring his face down to the level of hers. As the moonlight shone down from the breaks in the canopy above, it washed over his golden hair to turn it a shining silver, and his pale skin seemed to glow, making him seem like an angel sent from above to deliver Yona from this fresh Hell. Yona knew much better than that, though; pretty-faced and elegant as he was, Soo-Won was no angel, but a devil to the core. His expression was as unreadable as hers as he lifted a hand to hold it out to her in offering.

“Yona, you must trust me. I will take both you and Lily to a safe place.” Lily had stopped screaming and was just sniffling miserably on the other side of the clearing, perched in front of the large general on his destrier. The stoic Joo-Doh was watching with obvious interest from beside his own, and Yona was quite aware that his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword. Her mouth twitched as she straightened herself up, though it sent pain shooting through every nerve in her body, and made a show of resting her hands primly in her lap rather than taking the one held out in front of her.

“Trust you? I think not. For all I know, this is all a show for Lily’s sake. You’ve never cared about me, Soo-Won,” she said bitterly. Hearing the words spit like acid out of her mouth made her sad; even now, after all that had happened, she wanted desperately for them to be untrue, that the man that she loved once felt something for her after all, and she could fall into his arms and be safe and wanted. That would never be, though; if Soo-Won had cared, he wouldn’t have murdered her father in cold blood. _But what about that time?_ Chimed the annoying voice in her head. He had shielded her from prying eyes once, and had allowed her to escape back to her party unharried. If he had truly wanted to be rid of her, he surely had the resources to have done so by now. Already, Yona’s resolve and stubbornness was waning, but she still refused to allow the quiver to come to her bottom lip or the tears to flood into her eyes. Burning like the dawn, her eyes bored into his as she waited for his response.

“Yona,” he exhaled deeply, and with the way he tilted his head and closed his eyes she could tell that his patience with her was already wearing thin. “I haven’t the time to explain it all to you right now. Please, if not for your own sake, then for Lily’s. You both direly need medical attention.” At the mention of her friend, another piece of Yona’s shield went splintering off. Lily was of much weaker constitution than Yona, having been sheltered in a palace and not subject to the hardships Yona had of late, and she knew that the girl had reached her limit already. Still, she had too much pride to rise to the king’s bait.

“Don’t try to use her as leverage, Soo-Won. That still doesn’t change anything. Face it, you can’t give me a legitimate reason for me to-“

“Fine!” he snapped at her suddenly, cutting her off, and despite herself she jumped slightly at the ferocity in his voice and the intensity of his gaze as he snapped his eyes open to gaze fiercely at her. With a flushing rising into his cheeks, he spat, “How about because I _love_ you, Yona? Is _that_ good enough for you?” Yona was immensely struck, having expected any other reason but that, and her knee-jerk reaction was to immediately claim it as a lie; however, Soo-Won anticipated such a response and thus acted appropriately to quell her continuous rebellion; with his face now as red as Yona’s fiery hair, he stiffly wrapped a hand around the back of her head to jerk her forward. Every cell in her body pulsed as his lips crashed against hers, fiercely but passionately. Though part of her was screaming to pull back and slap him, the other part of her strongly overpowered it, the part of her that she had tried to quash ever since that night at the castle watching Soo-Won draw the bloody blade out of the corpse of her beloved father- the part that loved Soo-Won deeply, wholly, with everything she had. Enslaved by her emotions, Yona slumped against Soo-Won, her slightly shaking hands curling into the fabric of his high-quality, kingly robes as her eyes drifted shut. “I care about you, Yona… Really, I do,” he whispered against her lips, and that sent a trembling shudder throughout her entire body unlike anything she had ever felt. _No, I can’t let him get to me!_ she thought with gritted teeth and jerked back stiffly for a second.

“You’re a liar! You don’t care about me!” she insisted, and she hated how weak and feeble her voice sounded. That part of her tugged fiercely, drawing her body further against him though her mind tried to resist. _He doesn’t… He can’t love me…_

“You’re like a stubborn child,” he grunted and at once had swept her up in his kiss again, even more fiercely than before. Her senses became dominated by the feeling of his lips moving against her own, hungry and full of desire, and his slim fingers sliding through the tangled strands of her dawn-colored hair. As he kissed her intensely, Yona could not deny it this time; there was no lie. Soo-Won loved her, despite all the twisted things that he had done, and that made her sadder than anything yet. The tears began to stream silently down her cheeks.

Though she loved him, though she trusted him, she could not forgive him, and thus they could never be no matter how much either of them wanted it.

“Lord Soo-Won, the Sei soldiers will be here soon,” Joo-Doh coughed awkwardly from his spot across the clearing, and Soo-Won jerked slightly. Yona’s let out a small sigh as he pulled back from her, very hesitantly, and her eyelashes fluttered open to look up at him with faintly peek cheeks. He sniffed as he tried to resume some kind of kingly manner, sitting stiffly upright as he uncomfortably teased his fingers through his long, blonde hair. His eyes twitched slightly as he muttered, “Will you come with me _now_?” Yona silently nodded, wiping at her eyes with backs of her hands while she stared mutely down at her lap. Her mind was still descended in fog, struggling with the realization that her feelings were reciprocated and the uncertainty of her future. How was she going to keep moving forward, knowing this? She couldn’t abandon Hak, Yoon, and the others, and she just simply couldn’t forget the fact that Soo-Won killed her father; yet, he had softened something inside of her, and now she just didn’t know what she was going to do anymore. Slightly frustrated with it, she decided that she didn’t have to decide that now, and she was just going to face the moment. She rested her head against Soo-Won’s shoulder as he slipped his arms around her, effortlessly lifting her from the thicket and turning around with her nestled in his arms like a groom would his bride. It was not preferred of Yona, but she was severely dehydrated and unable to walk with her injury, so she just obediently remained in his gentle hold. Both of them flushed simultaneously when they realized that the Geun-Tae and Lily were gawking shamelessly, their mouths wide open- well, not Joo-Doh, he was too serious for that, but he definitely looked floored and uncomfortable.

“But- I thought- Lily?” General Geun-Tae stammered and looked in bewilderment at the other princess. “You-? I’m so confused,” he exhaled deeply and slumped his shoulders with a tired expression. Lily had gone pale and was looking at her in deep concern, and so the princess just smiled wearily and waved a hand to indicate that she was just fine (well, fine enough) with the development. Lily frowned deeply but nodded in understanding, probably just content with knowing that Yona would be okay in the hands of the king. Yona looked up at Soo-Won, who twitched his nose with an expression half-way between a glare and a smile as he regarded Geun-Tae.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s go,” he huffed as he promptly carried Yona over to his horse and set her into the saddle, before climbing up himself. She swallowed slightly as he put one arm around her middle and held him securely against him, her head pressed right in the middle of his chest. As he turned the horse around with a whip of the reins, she resigned herself and flopped wearily back against him.

“This doesn’t change anything, you know,” she murmured to him while keeping her gaze on the shifting landscape of the forest.

“You sure have gotten stubborn, Yona,” he sniffed at her, doing the same. He knew it didn’t change anything, either. They were going to be at odds, for the foreseeable future, at least; their paths were definitely intertwined, but would they ever be joined?

Yona didn’t know, and it hurt her wearied mind to ponder it. Instead, for that brief moment, she pondered fantasies that had been lost to her, the dawn of a romance between herself and the king that never could be. She closed her eyes, savoring the way he held her tightly, securely, like he never wanted to let her go, and for the briefest of moments pretended that he wouldn’t have to.

If Yona was the dawn, Soo-Won was the dusk, two very similar things that could never meet, and were destined to oppose each other for the rest of time…


	4. Little Talks

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Yona, Lily

Requested By: snow3bunny (Ao3)

Lily strode purposefully down the streets of the city, perhaps more purposefully than she usually did; after all, she had just recruited a handful of very useful and powerful-looking men to her cause against the vicious drug poisoning her people, so needless to say her mood had elevated quite considerably. The rain had ceased, as well, allowing a small amount of sunlight to peek through the lingering clouds and create kaleidoscopic patterns of light in the puddles of rainwater splashing beneath her slippered feet. The troop’s apparent leader, the blonde-haired, quiet man named Won who was not too much older than her, seemed a bit unassuming on the outside but Lily could nevertheless feel considerable intelligence and a faintly intense energy radiating from within him. _Surey, with their help, I’ll be able to get to the bottom of this and find out who’s supplying all these drugs!_ The thought put a slight spring in her step, causing her long black hair to swish slightly about her waist as she walked. Her eyes sparkled with hope and determination as she proceeded down the cobblestone walkways with the men walking silently behind her in their cloaks. _Just wait, Yona! I’m gonna do it!_

Lily’s radiating, sun-like energy was suddenly snuffed out as she heard the unmistakable sound of conflict drifting out of an alleyway further ahead. One glance over her shoulder revealed that the noises had not escaped the attention of the men; General Joo-Doh already had a hand on the hilt of his sword, and Won was staring levelly at the entrance of the alleyway. Lily swallowed slightly as she debated whether or not to approach the alleyway to discover the source of the commotion; undoubtedly, the vile drug Nadai was at the root of the conflict. She shuddered slightly as she recalled the iron stench of Tetra and Yona’s blood, splattered across the hallway of the inn as Hiyou the drug smuggler and his thugs attempted to stop their lives short. Then, Lily had not been able to do anything but quake in fear and cry. She balled up her fists and gritted her teeth as the memory of powerlessness and hopelessness flashed at the forefront of her mind. _No! I said that I would stop this conflict myself, instead of relying on Yona and the others! I am the princess of the Water Tribe! This is **my** responsibility! _Without bothering to consult her escorts, she took off in a run towards the entrance of the alleyway, garnering gasps of alarm from them.

The water splashed around her feet as she slipped in a puddle at the entrance of the alley, and she had to whirl her arms about and lean heavily to the side in order to keep from making a disgraceful fall.

“Stop right there!” she shouted without even taking a second to see exactly what was going on. She tried to keep the firm, unperturbed expression on her face as four men brandishing swords glared back at her. In the gaps between their ugly mugs and their clothing, Lily caught a glimpse of bright red hair peeking out from underneath a cloak, partnered by a ponytail of muted green. _It’s Yona, and what must be one of her companions! These must be assassins that Hiyou sent!_ she realized with a slight gasp, and she then realized that she had landed herself in a rather precarious situation herself. Without warning, one of the men lunged at her; his sword flashed angrily in the stream of sunlight, and with a terrified screech Lily threw herself backwards as the sword greedily tried to bite at her throat. Instead of falling all the way back and landing on the hard, unforgiving concrete, she landed with a soft _poompf_ against someone’s body.

“That was a close one, Lady Lily,” Won mused over her shoulder as she fell into his robes, blushing; meanwhile, Joo-Doh’s sword had risen to meet her attacker’s, and they collided with a resounding clash. In a matter of seconds, the three skilled fighters had made short work of the assassins, and they were now lying in varying states of consciousness groaning against the cobblestone. Lily pushed herself away from Won, and, after nervously ensuring that none of the men were in well enough state to grab her ankles as she walked by, hurriedly picked her way through the tangle of limbs and bodies to scamper over the tall, puzzled man bearing her friend on his back.

“Yona! Are you all right?” she cried as she approached. She was too preoccupied with securing Yona to notice the complicated look that passed over Won’s face, but he had wiped his face into a blank slate in the mere seconds it took for her to take in Yona’s pale face and ragged breathing and then look at him with much distress. “Won! This is my friend. Please, we have to help her!”

“It’s okay, Lily,” Yona huffed wearily, and Lily looked back to find her smiling weakly. “Jae-ha is going to take me to an inn. I’m just tired, that’s all.” Her warm gaze slid from Lily to Won, standing a distance behind her, and Lily noticed a haze pass over her red eyes. She immediately took this as a sign that Yona was slipping further into fever, and she shook her head adamantly.

“No, no! It’s far too dangerous with these assassins after you, Yona! These men are strong! They can protect you, too!” Jae-ha, who had been staring curiously at the four men for the entire exchange, glanced down at the exhausted princess with a consoling expression.

“I think she’s right. I would like to go check on Yoon and the others, anyway; they’re taking longer than I thought they would. You can stay with them while I circle back to go see if they’ve gotten themselves into trouble, too.” A pink haze appeared across Yona’s cheeks as she considered the notion, and knowing her stubbornness, Lily was afraid that she would once more refuse. _Yona suffered a terrible wound. She is in bad condition, whether she wants to admit it or not. The best thing for her would be to stay at an inn, where lots of people can protect her, not just Jae-ha!_

“Fine,” she mumbled finally, her eyes flickering to Won once more before she buried her face into Jae-ha’s neck. The green-haired main straightened up with a serene smile.

“Very good, very good. Well then, Lady Lily, lead the way- as long as it’s all rigfht with your friends, of course,” he purred with a nod of his head. Lily whirled about, looking at Won hopefully; he was in intent whispered conversation with Joo-Doh, but as she turned on them, it abruptly cut short and the general looked off, seemingly on the losing end of the debate.

“Of course she can stay with us. I wouldn’t want any harm to come to a friend of yours, Lily.” The dark-haired princess breathed a sigh of relief and scuttled over the unconscious assassins to rejoin Won and his capable troop. As he walked alongside her, she noticed that he was staring intently at the red-haired princess, who was distinctly averting his gaze. _I wonder what’s with that? Does he think Yona’s pretty?_ She thought with slight amusement.

Won secured them a pair of adjoining rooms, and as he said, Jae-ha left to check on the rest of their friends while Yona rested with Lily and her guards. Yona was lying on her stomach with her kimono open while Lily attempted her best to apply medicine that Yoon had packed with the princess to the gaping gash in her back; the adjoining door was open to allow her guards an easy route into the room should assassins storm in after Yona, but they were all looking away to protect Yona’s modesty. As she stared down at it, the long laceration that stretched in a downward arc between her shoulderblades, crusted with blood and oozing fluid, the image of the sword flashing through the red-haired girl’s skin flashed in her mind and made bile rise to her throat. Her fingertips trembled as they gently swept over the healing wound, and it made her less gentle; she heard Yona hiss and felt her flinch as she accidently pressed too hard.

“I’m sorry!” she squeaked on reflex. As Yona murmured some casual, comforting remark, Lily exhaled slightly and swept the last of the ointment across the wound. She closed the vial of medicine and instead of indicating to Yona that she could slip back into her kimono, she pressed her hand against the small of the girl’s back, right underneath the gaping wound. “I’m sorry, Yona… If I had not been so weak, you wouldn’t have gotten injured like this.” Her bottom lip wobbled as the tears flooded into her eyes. _Both Yona and Tetora… Got hurt for my sake… I know my strength lies elsewhere, but I still wish I could fight so that others didn’t have to take the strikes meant for me,_ she lamented.

“Lily. It’s all right.” Lily looked up to see that Yona had turned her head to smile sweetly at her. “I got hurt because _I_ was weak.” Lily sniffed, and Yona narrowed her eyes slightly. “… But it isn’t safe with these assassins after me. You should go back home, where Tetora and Ayura can keep you safe.”

“Nuh-uh!” she refused immediately with a dramatic shake of her head. “As princess of the Water Tribe, it’s my responsibility to deal with the Nadai, too! I want to fight alongside you, Yona!” she insisted and leaned forward. Yona’s eyes widened slightly, and then she giggled. Lily, totally serious, puffed out her cheeks and flushed. “I’m serious! It’s not funny!”

“No, I know. You’re serious face is kinda funny.”

“Is it?!” she gasped, and her sleeves flopped in her face as she covered it with her hands. This made Yona laugh more, and after realizing that it had been a joke, she lowered her hands and glowered at her with cheeks as red as her hair. Yona sat up with a contented sigh, and Lily protected her body from prying eyes as she slipped back into her kimono. She then looked at Lily happily.

“I’m glad to have you by my side, Lily.” The remark made Lily’s chest swell with joy, and she was so overcome with emotion that all she could do was nod slightly with a big smile on her face; if she tried to say anything, she would choke up and cry. There then came a light knock at the threshold of the sliding door, and Lily turned slightly to see Won entering with a small pail of water and a rag.

“I thought that this might help with Yo- the lady’s fever,” he said, and though he was wearing that same calm, collected look with a hint of a smile, Lily caught the tension in his voice as he corrected himself. His eyes flickered to Yona, who was watching him guardedly, her chin tilted up slightly. “May I?”

“Lily can do it, thank you,” was Yona’s curt reply. The corner of Won’s mouth twitched, but he obediently set the pail of water beside Lily and promptly whirled on his feet; rather than leaving the room completely, he perched himself in the doorframe, leaned up against it with his arms crossed and his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Lily did not know what to think of his odd behavior, so busied herself with dipping the rag in the water and wringing it out. Yona’s eyes were glued to Won as she laid back, gingerly, and allowed Lily to place the cool rag across her forehead.

“Does he have to stay right there?” the redhead whispered to her as she leaned over. A quizzical look passed over Lily’s face, and she glanced out of the corners of her eyes at Won; he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, not listening to the exchange of the two girls.

“I think he’s just worried that assassins may attack, Yona. I mean, if anyone says that a red-haired girl is staying here, they’ll go searching room to room,” she explained quietly, for Yona’s benefit. She smiled down at her. “I trust him! He protected me from assassins that were looking for you. You’ll be safe until Jae-ha comes back.” Yona looked uncomfortable for a moment, then exhaled deeply before nodding in understanding. Lily grinned as she sat up, tucking her legs primly underneath her and placing her hands in her lap as she sat at Yona’s side tending to her. “So… Tell me about Jae-ha and the others. I want to know what kind of people you’re traveling with.”

So, Yona told Lily about her friends. She talked about Yoon, who was their doctor and loved to read, especially about medicine; about Kija, who was sweet and shy and was very gentlemanly; about Shin-ah, who was even more shy and barely ever spoke, but was a fierce fighter and had a pet chipmunk named Ao; about Jae-ha, who was kind of a scoundrel and playfully flirtatious but always made sure to treat Yona with respect and dignity; and about Zeno, who was a happy-go-lucky, childish young man who never failed to lift Yona’s spirits. Yona talked a lot about Hak, whom she had been with the longest and was a renowned warrior, whom had taught Yona to fight and whom she trusted with her life. Hearing the way she spoke and the way her expression changed when she brought him up, Lily joked, “Is he your boyfriend, Yona?”

“No!” The blatant, almost angry refusal did little to quell Lily’s suspicions. Her face blazing, her gaze surprisingly slid once more to Won, whom was just stiffly sitting in the doorway. “Hak is just my childhood friend… He protected me when I needed it most. He would _never_ leave me or betray me.” From across the room, Lily heard Won inhale sharply, and when she looked at him his fingers were curled tightly into the fabric of his robes. She narrowed her eyes slightly. _Something is definitely going on between them._ Before she had the chance to ask, Won abruptly stood up and glanced in their direction. Lily could have sworn that his expression was sad.

“It’s getting late, Lady Lily, Lady… Yona.” The way he caught on her name and the flash of emotion in his eyes was not lost on the princess. “You should get some rest,” he added with a respectful dip of his head before disappearing into the men’s side of the suite. Lily looked back at Yona, a question dancing on her tongue, but the girl had turned on her side with her back toward the door and Lily knew that asking about the nature of their relationship was not the appropriate thing to do. Lily sat there for a moment, then pushed the pail of water aside and pulled her blankets so that they were right beside Yona’s, and then slipped into bed beside her.

“Yona?” At the prompting, the princess turned back onto her back to look at her with a tired expression. She probably expected her to inquire, but Lily just smiled sweetly and leaned her head against hers. “I’ll protect you, too, like Hak. Even if I have to use my body as a shield or give up my life… I’ll be your ally.” That wasn’t just for her benefit; Lily meant every word of it. Lily now knew what it meant to be devoted to someone, both body and soul; like Tetora and Ayura were to her. Yona was just that special to her, and believed that she could change the whole world if she put her mind to it. Yona smiled happily and pressed her forehead against Lily’s.

“Thank you… But don’t be too eager. I’ll miss our little talks, you know? I don’t have any other girls to talk to,” she mused. Lily started to giggle, and Yona followed soon after, and soon they were just a pair of giggling fools in a dark room. After they finally calmed down and talked a little more, the drowsiness began to set in; as Lily was drifting off, her hand enclosed in her friend’s and her eyes drooping, a small smile was on her lips.

_I’ll be your strength… Just like you’re mine, Yona. Even when your destiny carries you far away from me, I’ll never cease to fight for your cause… Because you’re my very first true friend._


	5. How It Always Will Be

Category: Friendship Fluff

Characters: Yona, Soo-Won, Hak

Requested By: Anonymous User

Hak exhaled sharply out of his nose as he lounged lazily on one of the many sets of steps within the castle which he now called home. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he had been declared as Yona’s official guardian, over many older and arguably more qualified warriors, and yet somehow, he had managed to get settled into the lofty home in such a short amount of time. It had been a major upset, of course, and he had been receiving quizzical and even jealous looks all day, but he didn’t much care. Hak was Yona’s protector now, and really, that’s all that mattered.

Hak leaned back with raised eyebrows as he heard soft footsteps proceeding across the hallway, and his eyes crept up to the roots of his dark hair when he clapped eyes on who was striding towards him.

“Soo-Won? What’re you doing here?” he blinked as the blonde-haired boy jovially approached him. Soo-Won put his hands on his hips with a frown as he asked, apparently thinking that Hak must know why he decided to just randomly show up.

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t come here to congratulate you personally, did you?” he huffed with puffed-out cheeks, most undignified for a person of his stature, but Soo-Won was always doing things like that despite his position as a royal. He then smiled and leaned down slightly to grin at him widely. “Well, congrats on your promotion, Hak!”

“Thanks. You can go home now.”

“You’re so mean!” he whined as he hung his head with a crestfallen sigh. He held it like that for a few seconds before he straightened up, pushing his long blonde hair out of his face and seemingly completely recovered from his depressive spell, as he was already smiling again. “Where’s Yona?”

“Dunno.”

“You’re her guardian and you don’t know where she is?” Hak’s eyebrow twitched at the blatantly accusatory remark, and he stood up, leaning on his weapon as he glared grumpily at his friend and rival.

“Look, they’ve had me busy with all this preparatory crap, so I haven’t seen her. She’s probably in her room,” he grumbled in response. He twirled his _guandao_ in his hand before walking past Soo-Won, making a point to brush up against his robes. Soo-Won hesitated for a bit, staring at him in confusion, and so Hak looked over his shoulder with an annoyed grimace. “Well, do ya wanna go see her, or what?” he snorted before continuing onward towards the princess’ quarters, and he heard Soo-Won shuffle hurriedly after him before falling in step with him. He practically radiated regality and serenity, while Hak just looked like a scruffy vagabond beside him. That’s how it always was, and how it always would be- not that Hak was jealous. He wanted no part of fancy clothes and balls and kissing ass; he much preferred his functional battle gear and long days of training, blood and sweat and tears for a hard day’s work, and a life of service to the princess. It was what he was born to do, and he didn’t resent it…

Even if Yona loved Soo-Won instead of him.

Neither of them knew that, of course; Hak was very, very good at hiding that part of himself. Soo-Won was a much better match for Yona than he was, even if they were cousins; intermarriage was not terribly uncommon in the royal family, after all. Soo-Won knew the ins and outs of royal life even more than Yona did, and was clever and charismatic. He was then perfect choice to lead the country one day alongside the innocent, naïve girl, and Hak was the perfect choice to stay on the sidelines, baring his fangs when needed. That was where _he_ excelled.

Soo-Won paused to knock on the door to Yona’s quarters before entering. Yona was sitting on the floor, her dress puddling around her like colorful water, and was doing some calligraphy with muted interest. Instantly, Hak realized something was off; Yona did not immediately spring up to scurry over to her beloved Soo-Won and embrace him as she normally did, but only responded to his cheerful greeting with a muted “hello.” Yona had just turned thirteen, and so Hak wondered if she was entering her “rebellious teenage phase” as the adults called it (that was what they said about Hak’s foul attitude, anyway) but it was hard to see the normally sweet and happy Yona being rebellious about anything. Soo-Won crossed the room to sit on his knees beside her, while Hak leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and his weapon propped up beside him.

“Wow, Yona, your penmanship is wonderful. May I see it?” Soo-Won asked nicely. Hak rolled his eyes, expecting the girl to turn as red as her head and shyly allow him to ponder her beautiful creation, but to his shock she just huffed grumpily and roughly shoved it over to him. Soo-Won raised his eyebrows and looked at Hak quizzically before tentatively picking up the parchment and looking at the character she had painted in ink on it. Before he even opened his mouth to speak, she snatched it from his hands and promptly crumpled it up, angrily tossing it aside before shoving the calligraphy set away.

“Don’t even bother; it’s horrible. I’m terrible at calligraphy! I hate it! I don’t know why Father makes me practice something so useless,” she snapped as she crossed her arms and fumed. Hak watched in bewilderment as she abused the wooden station; the ink bottle toppled over and spilled over its surface, creeping towards the edge, which overlooked her pristine pink dress.

“Oh, Yona, you’ll get ink-“ Soo-Won went to say and grabbed her elbow to gently move her, but she jerked it away and rounded on him.

“I don’t care!” she snapped hotly. “I hate these stuffy dresses, too!” At that proclamation, she jumped up and began tearing at the thick fabric; Hak was in a sheer state of shock, because Yona had always been one to avidly dress up and make herself look pretty, especially when Soo-Won was around. Her face flushed, both in exertion and frustration because her feeble grip could not rip the fabric from her body, she settled for angrily wrenching her hairpiece out of her fiery red locks and flinging it across the room. It just so happened that she had flung it straight at Hak, and he had to duck to avoid being pelted in the face with the bejeweled metal flower. It shattered to pieces above him, sending jewel shards and metal bits sprinkling into his hair. He rounded on Yona with his shoulders nearly bristling like a cat’s.

“Hey! Watch where you’re throwing!”

“Watch where you’re standing! You shouldn’t have been in the way!” she argued, and that caused Hak to recoil even more. Yona was _never_ argumentative; she would just meekly apologize. _What the hell has gotten into her?!_ He thought wildly, looking to Soo-Won for an explanation but he just shrugged back with equally wide and clueless eyes. Suddenly, Yona doubled over with a pained cry, falling to her knees while tenderly holding her stomach. Both Soo-Won and Hak were at her side in an instant; Hak placed the back of his hand against her forehead, and was alarmed to find it burning hot to the touch. “Nggh… My stomach hurts so bad,” she whimpered with tears forming in the corners of her rose-colored eyes, and Hak’s first, terrified thought was that she had been poisoned on his watch and that was the explanation for her irrational behavior and now cramps.

“We should get her to the castle’s doctor,” his friend recommended, and before Hak could do anything, effortlessly scooped Yona into his arms and went dashing out of the doors in a flash of blonde locks and light robes. Hak snatched up his _guandao_ and trotted after him, gritting his teeth; he was angry that Soo-Won reacted first and so smoothly, and he was angry that he had potentially missed something, and had monumentally screwed up. He didn’t know what had made Yona so terribly ill all of a sudden, and for a brief moment of horrified lunacy, he entertained the notion that she could die. _No, no, no! Tha’s not gonna happen! Stop overreacting,_ he scolded himself as he hurriedly followed Soo-Won down the corridor.

Half an hour later they were sitting outside the door to the resident doctor’s quarters, one on either side of the frame, both staring wordlessly at the opposite wall. Hak could hear Yona crying pitifully within the room, and each sob sent sparks dancing like fire through his nerves. He was supposed to be her protector, but he couldn’t ease her pain or even stop it from coming. It was the most helpless he had ever felt, and he _hated_ it. His hands wrapped so tightly around the handle of his weapon that his knuckles glared white, matching the shade of his face. With a small gulp, his eyes slid to Soo-Won, who was continuing his staring contest with the painted wall and strangely emotionless.

“Hey… You think she’s gonna be okay?” he asked quietly. It was not often that Hak went to him for assurance, if ever, but the thought of the opposite being true was too much to bear for him at the moment. He needed affirmation, even if it was a lie and even if it came from Soo-Won, whom he never wanted to perceive him as weak. Soo-Won’s shoulders jumped slightly as he was torn from his thoughts, and when he looked at Hak, his blank face melted into a reassuring smile.

“Of course. She probably just ate something that didn’t agree with her.” It was a lame response, but enough to stifle Hak’s more terrifying theories. Suddenly, the door between them opened, and both of them sprang to their feet to badger the very startled doctor who had just exited. “Doctor! Is Yona all right?”

“Yeah, old man, spill it already, what’s wrong with her?” The doctor regarded them for a second, then smiled kindly and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“There’s no cause to worry. Yona is just becoming a young lady.” Soo-Won and Hak looked at each other in complete befuddlement, then turned their attention back to the physician.

“What the hell does _that_ mean?” Hak asked rudely, not in the mood for run-around explanations or games. The doctor raised his white eyebrows, the wrinkles in his face creasing as he frowned awkwardly, and then he sighed deeply and straightened up to stroke his beard while looking up at the ceiling.

“Let’s see… How can I put this delicately?”

No matter how _delicately_ he could have put it, Hak could have never prepared himself for the explanation he received that day. After the man finished his lecture and bade them permission to enter the room and comfort Yona, he and Soo-Won hovered outside the door wearing identical blushes, neither of them willing to reach out and slide the door open to see the princess who was _blossoming._ Hak coughed uncomfortably before whispering, “S-Soo-Won… Did you… Know any of that…?”

“No. It makes me kind of thankful I was born a man.”

“We’re in agreement for once.” The two shell-shocked boys lingered like ghosts in the hallway for a moment, unsure if they wanted to brave the sleeping lion within the room, before Hak decided that he would rather incite Yona’s wrath than wonder if she was in their writhing in pain of need of him, and so he stiffly opened the door. Yona was lying in the bed covered with many blankets, a damp rag laying over her forehead, whimpering slightly. “Yona?” he asked quietly as he crept across the room, and he stiffened like a board as her eyelashes fluttered open to gaze up at him; thankfully, there was not bitterness or anger swirling in the red irises of her eyes, but warm relief. Hak breathed out slightly as he sat down cross-legged beside her, while Soo-Won took a seat opposite him, sitting on his knees like a proper royal would.

“I’m sorry I was so short with you, and threw that hairpin at you, Hak. I was just in a lot of pain,” she apologized quietly, too guilty to meet either of their gazes. Her face was still pink and shining with a thin sheet of sweat from the fever. Hak scratched the side of his face awkwardly, still not sure what to make of the entire situation, while his companion smiled kindly.

“It’s okay, Yona. Do you feel better now?” he told her. Yona squirmed uncomfortably beneath the mass of blankets.

“A little… The doctor gave me some medicine to help with the cramping, but I still don’t feel very good.”

“That’s okay. Just lay here and rest. We’ll stay here with you,” Soo-Won said and reached out to grasp her hand. Yona stiffened slightly, her face turning a shade darker in embarrassment, and Hak thought it was at least good that she had gotten back to her normal self somewhat… Even if the way she fawned over Soo-Won was mildly irritating. With a small sigh, he took the damp rag and dipped it in fresh cold water and replaced it, then let his hair fall into her red tresses of hair that were framing her flushed face. He let his fingers run through it, the only soothing gesture he really knew how to give; Yona didn’t rebuke him for it. She smiled slightly and closed her eyes, snuggling further into the blankets with a contented hum.

“Thank you both… I feel better with you both beside me.”

Soo-Won on one side grasping her hand, Hak on the other wishing he could, the innocent, beautiful princess between. Just like it always had been, and how it always would be…  


	6. Dawn and Dusk Part II

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Yona of the Dawn

Characters: Soo-Won, Yona

Requested by: Lee03na (Ao3)

Yona’s eyes gently fluttered as she felt Soo-Won shifting behind her. Apparently, her exhaustion had led to her dozing off on the horse, despite her lingering cautiousness concerning the entire situation that had developed in the forest of Sei Province. Yona’s mind took a moment to ascend from the fog of sleep; she blinked blearily as she felt Soo-Won swing of the horse to land lightly on his feet, and almost by reflex, her dawn-like eyes sought him out. He was straightening out his robes, but when he felt Yona’s gaze on him, his eyes flickered up to meet hers. It was only then that true consciousness returned to Yona. Her cheeks flushed and she hurriedly tore her gaze away to again stare at her lap, which was apparently her object of interest lately.

_I can’t give him any reason to think that this changes anything. I must return to Hak and the others as soon as possible…_

“Yona.” She forced herself to glance back down as Soo-Won coughed politely. “I’m going to take you down from the horse now.” Yona blinked slightly, because admittedly- and infuriatingly- she respected him a little more for asking permission. She gave him a civil nod of compliance in response. Yona could not help the way her muscles tightened as his hands gripped her waist; half of her wanted to be touched, yet the other half of her shuddered in revulsion. She could only see his blood-stained hands holding her, dying her kimono red and the iron stench filling up her nose. She flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, and she felt Soo-Won freeze in the middle of attempting to lift her down. She cracked an eye open and the grotesque vision was gone. Soo-Won’s eyes were widened, staring her as if wondering if he should go forward.

“I just brushed my ankle against the horse,” she lied quickly. He looked down at the still-bleeding wound as if registering it, then slowly nodded and proceeded to continue what he was doing. He easily lifted Yona from the steed, once again settling her into his arms since she couldn’t walk. Yona swallowed slightly and gripped the fabric of his robes, as if she needed to ground herself somehow. Unfortunately, she could only ground herself to him. She was still reeling from their heated kiss. The heat rose to her face just thinking about it, how nice it felt…

 _No!_ she thought wildly. If she had not been in Soo-Won’s arms, she would have tossed her head about to forcibly shake out the thought. If her old feelings for Soo-Won were dredged up again, nothing good would come of it.

“Yona!” Lily’s voice distracted her from the dilemma within her heart. Lily came running up, pausing to give Soo-Won a suspicious pout, before looking sadly down at Yona’s ankle. “You’re still bleeding…”

“It’s all right, Lily. It looks worse than it is,” she reassured her quietly. Lily looked unassured but General Geun-Tae took her gently by the elbow to lead her away to where the other soldiers were constructing a tent for her. He was insisting that she should rest and they would take care of Yona’s wound. As she was led away, Lily kept tossing worried glances her way. Yona appreciated that she was so concerned for her. _She’s a good friend._

Soo-Won carried her toward the opposite side of the little encampment, where Joo-Doh was apparently assembling the royal tent. It was modest, given the circumstances, but still exceptionally spacious and laden with comfort compared to the rest of the tents. He held Yona in one arm as he used the other to pull back the flap and bring her inside.

“My Lord, I will see to Lady Yona’s ankle.” Joo-Doh’s gruff voice floated in through the entryway. Yona panicked momentarily, gripping onto Soo-won; somehow that was a worse alternative than staying with Soo-Won. The king must have picked up on her fright, or otherwise wanted to do it himself regardless, because he politely refused.

“Nonsense. I will see to Yona’s wound.” He gently set her down amongst the pillows and furs and straightened up. His slim fingers teased his golden-blonde locks out of his face as Joo-Doh peered through the flap.

“My Lord, I must protest-“ he started, holding a roll of bandages and a damp rag.

“Protest as much as you wish, then,” Soo-Won responded smoothly while taking the medical supplies from him before kneeling down in front of Yona. Her face flushed as his fingers ever-so-lightly pushed the hem of her kimono away to bear her ankle freely.

“My Lord!” Joo-Doh was whining. General Geun-Tae poked his head in to see what all the commotion was about and began to ogle himself. Yona blushed further, embarrassed at all the attention as well as the tender caresses of Soo-Won’s hand across her ankle. His hand suddenly wrapped around the shaft of the ankle, and though she would have liked to act tough, she could not stop the small, pained gasp from leaving her mouth. He looked up at her as her expression contorted into one of pain, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“J-just do it,” she huffed quickly. He narrowed his eyes further, and then suddenly, without warning, he wrenched the arrow out of her ankle with one swift jerk. Her hands immediately flew to her mouth, but the agonized scream still slipped through her fingers to fill the tent with its shrill sound. Yona had broken out in a cold sweat just from the small operation, and was panting. After the shock subsided and her nerves ceased their screeching, Yona dropped her violently shaking hands and looked down at Soo-Won. He was gently swiping the blood away with the damp rag. Though it stung, it didn’t nearly as much as it could have since he was being so soft with her. Yona’s eyes watched his hands as they trailed over her skin. Every brush of his fingertips sent electricity jolting up her leg, and not just from the pain. Her breath began to hitch slightly in her chest as she imagined his fingers trailing upwards, traveling up her calf and across her thigh-

Yona’s face blazed redder than her hair as the scandalous thought bloomed in her head. She instinctively slapped her hands to her face to shield her blush from the men.

“Yona? Is this hurting you too much?” Soo-Won asked. The amount of concern in his voice was dangerously deceptive. _Don’t let it get to you, Yona; don’t let it get to you…_

“No, I’m all right…” she squeaked back in response. She peeked through her fingers as Soo-Won began to continue his work. His nimble hands wound bandages around her foot, around and around, before sealing them with an adhesive. He looked so concentrated on what he was doing, so serious, which wasn’t at all like the carefree Soo-Won she remembered. Yet, that sinful part of her loved seeing him this way, so serious over her… Yona groaned inwardly as her mind insistently derailed into oblivion again. She needed to get as far away from Soo-Won as possible before things got complicated.

“Princess, is there anything else that you need?” Soo-Won asked her as he leaned back, sitting on his knees. Yona dropped her hands, aware that her face was still pink but unable to help it; Joo-Doh and Geun-Tae were still watching with brash interest. Yona was then reminded of the terrible parch in her throat, that burning gnawing from having to resist the Nadai-laden water in the prison camp.

“Water,” she croaked, hating how pathetic her voice sounded. Geun-Tae brought her a canteen of water and she unabashedly drained it to the last drop in a mere three seconds, but the cold water irritated her scratchy throat; it caught and she jerked back, coughing with water dribbling down her front. As she hacked continuously, Soo-Won reached forward as if to help her; she instinctively scuttled backwards, eyes blazing with warning- and the mere bit of longing. His hand froze in mid-air, still reaching for her, before it dropped and he exhaled a deep sigh.

“Gentlemen, I think things are quite all right here. Miss Yona and Miss Lily are settled, so why don’t you both see to yourselves? We spent a great deal of the day looking for these two and I am sure you’re tired as well.” Though it was paraded as concern for their well-being, it was a very obvious insistence that the two of them be left alone. Geun-Tae seemed not to care and stepped right out, but Joo-Doh lingered for a second before giving a brief nod. The tent flap dropped down as he left, and Yona and Soo-Won were left alone within the tent.

She fidgeted anxiously, patting at the damp spot on her kimono. He gazed intently at her, and she avoided meeting his eyes. If she did, something might happen. _I need to stay focused. I still have a duty to my country. I can’t let Soo-Won change that._ “Yona. Look at me.”

Damn it to all hell, though she tried to resist it, his voice called her eyes like a siren song. They instantly rose to meet his, and once they did, they were locked into submission. His eyes were burning with the dim fire of dusk, when the sun flashed once more before being swallowed up by the horizon- a perfect compliment to her radiant irises of dawn. Yona felt an ache forming in her chest. It was undeniable; she _wanted_ him, even after all this time. She wanted him to hold her, and kiss her, and _love_ her.

But Yona could not forgive… She could not forget.

“Soo-Won-“

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to keep you here against your will. I’m sure one of your dragons will turn up eventually,” came the surprisingly casual reply. His face was calm as he stared at her, but Yona was all but calm. Everything since the kiss had been such a muddled mess. She was losing herself in the ghosts of old feelings. She took a moment to respond, trying to find her way in the dense fog of her mind.

“Yes. I am sure they will. I can leave Lily in your hands,” she managed finally. Silence descended between them. It lasted an agonizingly long time. Yona wanted to scream, but she was not sure what she wanted to scream. Suddenly, Soo-Won’s hand twitched, then crossed the short chasm between them to rest atop hers. Her eyes flickered down to stare at it. She wanted to hold it and she wanted to slap it away. She just settled for sitting there.

“Yona…” His other hand was under her chin now, forcing her to look back at him. It wasn’t really forcing, since she did so willingly, allowing the gentle move to pull her face upwards. “Yona,” he repeated again, softer. His voice sent a shudder through her body, but not a disgusted one. His voice permeated every fiber of her body, ringing with a song of which she had never heard the likes of before… His thumb trailed across her cheek, gently caressing the various scratches that marred her skin. “I’m sorry.”

Those two words broke her like nothing had before.

“’ _Sorry’?”_ she choked as the tears instantly flooded from her eyes. “You don’t get to say that. Not after what you did.”

“Maybe I don’t deserve to, but that doesn’t change it from being true.” She squeezed her eyes shut, the words causing her physical pain. Her fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her kimono. She wanted to believe him; _oh_ , how she wanted to. But how could she forgive her father’s murderer? How could just abandon how strong she had grown, alongside Hak and Yoon and her dragons, at just a few whispered words? “ _Yona_ …” The way he was saying her name was driving her insane, in all meanings of the word. His hand had slipped from her face into her knotted, tousled, dawn-colored hair. She instinctively found herself leaning into it, craving the touch she wished for during her sheltered life in the castle. Now, she almost wished for it more. A soft sigh left her lips and her eyes flickered open to meet Soo-won’s. Two rising suns above oceans of tears reflecting pools of the last glimpse of sunlight before dusk. Two forces of opposition but yet completed one another.

“Soo-Won… I don’t… I can’t…” She couldn’t even formulate words from how intensely she was feeling. He laughed dryly.

“I guess it’s my fault for expecting you to still love me after that, huh?” he cocked his head to the side slightly while a sad smile ghosted his mouth. “I never wanted to hurt you, Yona. I just couldn’t see this country suffer any more. You understand, don’t you?” His gaze was pleading now. Yona did understand, loathe as she was to admit it. She had seen too much beyond the castle walls to argue otherwise. Soo-Won’s words began to chip away at her defensive wall.

“I do, but… I can’t stay with you, Soo-Won.” Another breathy sigh, and this time, it was his gaze that dropped. He measured his words for a long time before looking back up at her.

“I suppose that’s fair, but…” Yona’s eyes widened slightly as he pushed closer to her, bringing his face to her own. She could feel the words he breathed gently across her face, “If not forever, then just for tonight?” That whispered, heat-filled question stirred that ache in Yona’s chest, blooming it into a flower of hurt and passion. Her face screwed up slightly as the tears rolled in fresh waves down her cheeks, and all she could manage was a nod and a shaky inhale. Soo-Won didn’t ask her for any more words, though.

His lips ghosted across hers, then settled into a concrete, passionate kiss. Her trembling hand reached up to curl around his while the other once more anchored itself into his robes; Soo-Won’s continued to trace its was through her waves of red hair and his other circled around to the small of her back to pull her body flush against his. Her back arched into it of its own accord, because Yona could no longer really think. Her mind was so captivated by the feeling of his mouth blending into hers, almost as if they belonged together. She wasn’t sure how but somehow his tongue slipped into her mouth to swirl with her own. The deep kiss made Yona intoxicated more than any drug or drink ever could; her mind was a muddled mess of complicated feelings, a swirl of hurt and love and sadness and happiness and feelings she didn’t even know the name of.

He whispered her name against her lips as he pushed her backwards. His blonde hair fell across her as she landed against the soft downy comforters that lined the floor and he fell with her, not letting up the kiss for a moment. She returned his call with a desperate mewl, pawing at him as his mouth left hers to drop continuously deepening kisses across her jawline and down her neck. Her face hazed with a blush as he tugged at her kimono, loosening it a bit to allow him access to her collarbone and shoulder. Every touched struck her like lightning, leaving her tingling and trembling. Yona had never craved something like this in her entire life; she both relished it and feared it. Her desperate breaths fogged in front of her face as her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay grounded to the moment. Why had she been so adamant to not let things go like this? She had wanted this for so long… She finally had Soo-Won’s love. Surely that was enough?

His mouth was against hers again. Yona returned his affections greedy, needy, hungering. His hands were everywhere, feeling her through her clothes, leaving electricity in their wake.

“Soo-Won… I l-lo-“

A polite cough froze them faster than an icy blizzard. Soo-Won’s eyes were wider than the moon as he whipped around to glance over his shoulder to see Joo-Doh and Geun-Tae- and Lily, _oh no_ \- in the tent with matching expression. Yona’s face blazed as realty suddenly slapped her like a mother scolding her child, and she turned her face away, unable to bear Lily’s completely floored gawk. _I can’t believe I let him-!_

“Do you need something?” Soo-Won asked coolly.

“Lady Lily wanted to see how Lady Yona was faring,” Joo-Doh reported with equal chill. Yona side-eyed him. His face had returned to that stoic visage carved from stone. Geun-Tae now looked uncomfortable, and her friend was just staring at her in deep concern. Honestly, Yona was glad that they turned up before something… un-princess-like happened.

“Well, as you can see, she’s faring quite well.” As he sat up, Yona wriggled out from underneath him to sit up and, as discreetly as she could, fix her kimono. She was mortified to discover several marks across her body that had resulted from Soo-Won’s fervent attention. She tugged at her kimono to hide them before coughing awkwardly.

“Thank you for bandaging my ankle. I’m tired. I would like to rest now- with Lily,” she clarified to make sure that Soo-Won knew she had no intentions of carrying their sordid affair further. He looked at her, obviously saddened, but quickly regained his composure.

“Of course. Do you need help?”

Yona refused before she even tested the theory. She pushed herself up, wobbling a little but managing to concentrate most of her weight on her good leg; bearing a little weight on her injured foot hurt considerably, but not enough to where she could not walk herself. She hobbled over to Lily, who immediately grabbed her to support her. She brushed past Soo-Won, who was just staring at the space she had just occupied. Another arrow, unseen, embedded itself into her heart as she walked past him.

No matter how much she wanted it, the dawn and the dusk simply could not exist together. It was a law of nature that Yona had to obey.

“Are you sure that you’re all right, Yona?” Lily asked her quietly as she guided her to their tent. The two generals took their places as guard on other sides of the encampment. Yona exhaled sharply as she eased herself down onto the blankets, her slim hands wrapping around her ankle, which had begun to throb a little. Lily sat on her knees across from her.

“Yes. It doesn’t hurt nearly as much as it did.” The unasked question hung in the air like a guillotine blade, ready to slice through the thick tension between them. Yona decided to just address the issue. “It’s complicated, Lily.”

“I know. I just don’t want you to be sad, Yona,” the girl smiled comfortingly in response.

That’s when Yona fell against her and cried pitifully for what she wanted but could not have.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jae-ha came deep in the night. His soft call pervaded the fabric of the back of the tent, quiet but loud enough to rouse Yona from sleep. When she felt the princess shifting around, Lily awoke with a slight fright; her head tossed about in sleepy panic until Yona gently shushed her and informed her that she was leaving. Lily stared up at her blearily, only barely registering the statement, until it finally diffused through the thick fog of sleep and registered. She hugged Yona and insisted that she be careful, holding her for a long while, until she settled back amongst the blankets and pillows lest their conversation attract the attention of whichever general was currently on watch.

Yona drew back the flap of the tent and peered out into the night. General Geun-Tae was sitting across the clearing with his back to her, rigid as stone and seemingly unaware. She crawled out and circled around the tent to see the Green Dragon warrior crouching there with that ever-smug smirk decorating his lips. Silent, he turned around to allow her to clamber onto his back and wind her arms around his neck in a secure hold. For some reason, she glanced over her shoulder in the direction of Soo-Won’s tent.

His eyes glittered as he watched her from the entrance. Her breath hitched in her throat as her heart jumped into its place, terrified he would raise the alarm. He watched her for a few seconds, then the flap flipped closed, eclipsing him from view. Yona closed her eyes, but the sad expression he had been wearing was burned into her eyes. She leaned her head against Jae-ha, suddenly exhausted, while he leaped into the canopy, carrying her away from the man she loved and always would.

Above her head, the dusk was receding as dawn took its place.


End file.
